By Madhava Smullen
Faced with challenges such as a seriously deteriorating building and a pandemic, the Krishna House in Tallahassee, Florida recently came close to closing its doors for good. But the efforts of dedicated devotees brought it back from the brink, and the project is now steadily reaching out to students at Florida State University (FSU) with Krishna Lunch and other regular programs.
ISKCON of Tallahassee was first established by early Prabhupada disciples Brahmananda and Gargamuni around 1970, and the current Krishna House was first purchased in 1986. The lunch program began over 20 years ago on a small scale, and gradually developed into a regular effort. Most recently the Krishna House had been run by Brajananda Das, who devotedly nurtured the morning program, Krishna Lunch and other outreach.
When Covid hit in March 2020, however, and FSU stopped on-campus learning and all in-person programs including Krishna Lunch at the beginning of the pandemic, the Krishna House was left without its main source of income.
On top of that, the building was in catastrophic disrepair. The roof was leaking, termite infestation had caused severe damage, the foundation had developed major cracks, and the house’s front corners were sinking into the ground due to accumulated rain runoff. There were also maintenance issues with the bathrooms, kitchen, floors, plumbing, and electric. An inspector told devotees that repairs would cost $100,000 or more and would not be worth it, as the total value of the property at the time was less than $150,000 and there was $50,000 left to pay on the mortage.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/tallahassee-krishna-house-resurrected-after-nearly-closing-its-doors,8053/
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